Your body uses carbohydrates as its main fuel source. Complex carbohydrates (starches) are broken down into simple sugars during digestion. They're then absorbed into your bloodstream, where they're known as blood sugar (glucose). In general, natural complex carbohydrates are digested more slowly and they have less effect on blood sugar. Natural complex carbohydrates provide bulk and serve other body functions beyond fuel.
A low-carb diet can be extremely effective for dropping excess fat, and studies show it may also help reduce the risk of insulin resistance and diabetes. As it eliminates foods we have a tendency to overeat (can you say bread basket?), you end up saving calories. And since carbs spike blood sugar, you'll have more stabilized blood glucose levels, too.
Note: Many of the meals on this page include a side of healthy vegetables or healthy fruits. Although fruits and veggies are typically not low carb (under 10 g of total carbohydrates), that doesn't mean that they aren't good for you. Even if you're following a low carb diet, you should still eat plenty of fruits and veggies. In addition, you should consult with your doctor before embarking on a low carb diet.
If you want to lose weight, then cut the carbs down until you start dropping. It’s always a balancing act. After decades of Weight Watchers and other crazy diets I now don’t count a single thing. It is the most intuitive way of eating for me for over 3 years now. I pretty much stay at goal weight and still enjoy my red wine, 90% chocolate at weekends and some occassional low carb baking.
Note: Many of the meals on this page include a side of healthy vegetables or healthy fruits. Although fruits and veggies are typically not low carb (under 10 g of total carbohydrates), that doesn't mean that they aren't good for you. Even if you're following a low carb diet, you should still eat plenty of fruits and veggies. In addition, you should consult with your doctor before embarking on a low carb diet.
First, I want to thank you for all of your dedication and work in providing this site. The difficulty of maintaining a healthy weight is a big problem for so many people. My personal question & issue in staying on Keto is my craving for fresh fruit. This a.m I had a large fresh peach along with my “Bullet Proof” coffee. Have I now sabotaged today’s Keto eating?
Take a break from breakfast: If you’re not hungry, feel free to skip breakfast and just have coffee (with some milk if you want it). Many people find that within a few days of eating low-carb, high-fat meals, cravings and hunger decrease significantly. This can make it easy to skip a meal, perhaps especially breakfast. Skipping a meal is cheap, fast, and might increase the diet’s effectiveness for weight loss and diabetes. See intermittent fasting
"Your body will often shift metabolism when you do something different to it -- but it equalizes -- you see a rapid shift and a return to normal -- and the longer-term studies show normal results in this area," says Sondike. Still, he tells WebMD it's a "smart idea" to take a calcium supplement beginning at the start of your low-carb diet to safeguard against a possible deficiency. Tofu can also be a good source of calcium.
Use fat as a lever. We’ve been taught to fear fat, but don’t! Both keto and low carb are high fat diets. Fat is our source of energy as well as satiety. The key to understand, though, is that fat is a lever on a low carb or keto diet. Carbs and protein stay constant, and fat is the one you increase or decrease (push the lever up or down) to gain or lose weight, respectively. So if your goal is weight loss, eat enough fat to be satisfied, but there’s no need to “get your fats in” once you’re satisfied.